Looking forward to Trump-Modi first meeting: White House

Washington: The United States is looking forward to strengthen ties with India, the Trump Administration has said, ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump next week.

"We're looking forward to strengthening ties between the United States and India," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

"We have a lot of areas of mutual cooperation, fighting terrorism, we have a lot of people-to-people ties, strong people-to-people ties; so we are looking forward to that visit," she said.

Modi and Trump are scheduled to meet at the White House on Monday.

 This would be the first meeting between the two leaders.

After Trump won the presidential elections last November, the two leaders have spoken over phone three times, the last being Trump's congratulatory phone calls after Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.